Road trip

This past Monday we started another road trip. We enjoyed the view and listened to a man play the accordian in Blankaholm while we had a picnic (first picture) en route to run some orienteering races in Överum (just north of Västervik). The weather was fantastic. Isak experienced his first knatteknat (orientering course for small children) and of course hanging out with Sara (second picture). Back on Öland, Lia is taking a bath (last picture).

First Orienteering Race

This weekend Hans and Isak went to an orienteering race. The race was a relay and each team consisted of 20 runners. What is special with this relay is that each team must have a certain numbers of women, younger runners, and so on. Hans' club in Sweden, OK Njudung, had two teams and both Emma (middle picture - sprinting towards the finish) and Sara (bottom picture - just finished the race) ran as well as their parents, Per and Anna. OK Njudung finished 15th last year and since the team was, only on paper as it turned out, better this year, the team coach had set the goal to top ten. However, that didn't happen and Njudung team one finished 19th out of 90 teams, mostly from southern Sweden. This relay goes through the night and Hans went in to the woods around 4am and had a good race. Isak really loved the experience despite the very rainy weather - sleeping in a camper trailer (sharing bed at times with Meja) and a bag of Ahlgrens Bilar seem to be the key to make Isak interested in going to orienteering races. Two more coming up this week...

Relocation to Öland

After the trip to Gunnel and Börje in Verkebäck, we continued to the cottage on the island Öland (translated means island land). Our first day here, Thursday, was another rainy day, but the sun was out today. The water in the ocean was too cold for a swim though. Maybe tomorrow...because the cottage is just a few minutes walk from the ocean. You can see that Eivor has been busy in the garden around the cottage.

Party!

Hans' aunt Gunnel celebrated her retirement by inviting family to her and her husband's beautiful house in Verkebäck, just south of Västervik on the east coast. Top picture: Lia and Ally watching Ally's sister Julia. Middle picture: Adria and Isak outside Börje's and Gunnel's house to which they moved a few years ago and renovated. It's fantastic and the ocean is next door neighbour. Bottom picture: Hans' cousin Richard and his daughter Ally.

Tour de Hospital

To make a long story a bit shorter - we don't know when, but at some point yesterday, either at Astrid Lindgrens Värld or during the training run, Isak hurt his foot. This morning, he couldn't stand on it and it was swollen. The poor guy was also very upset, so we decided to go to the hospital. They took some x-rays and luckily nothing seems to be broken, but he needs to be a bit careful the next few days.

Astrid Lindgrens Värld

Here are Sara and Isak climbing on Emil's roof...yikes. IIIISSSSAAAKKK!!

The whole trip over from Canada, Isak talked constantly about meeting Pippi and giving her a big hug, however, when the time arrived....Hans was the only one getting a hug.

Lia and Sara enjoying a quiet moment.

Partying and Planting

Enjoying some yummy food with friends from the Njudung orienteering club.
Family has been busy planting new trees (7000) in the Fransson woods.
Here we are in the woods...but Isak is more interested in hunting for blueberries than taking photos.